Snap compartment for handbags



March 3, 1959 v Filed April 8, 1957 M. BoRFuss SNAP COMPARTMENT'FOR HANDBAGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 44 INVENTOR.

MAURICE BORFUSS Mamh 3 159 M. BORIFUSS SNAP COMPARTMENT FOR HANDBAGS Filed April 8, 195'? 2 Sheets-Sheet? INVENTOR. MAURICE BORFUSS ATTQ/PNEX United States Patent SNAP COMPARTMENT FOR HANDBAGS Mannie Barnes, New York, N. Y. Application April 8, 1957, serial'No. 651,534" 3 Claims. c1. 150-28 This invention relates to handbags, and-in particular has reference to'ahandbag having separate compartmenis, one of which isacce'ssible' responsive tounfolding of a plurality of specially shaped flaps or wallportions, in a manner to cause said flaps to snap between open and closed positions.

The main object of the invention is to providean improved handbag in which there will be a compartment which is accessible without necessity of opening the handbag completely, said access being provided to said' compartment without the requirement of the usual snap fasteners, zippers, or equivalent fastening means.

Another object is to provide a handbag as described in which the closure means of the compartment will constitute the compartment walls themselves.

Another object isto provide a handbag as described in which the snap-open compartment will be attractively designed so as to add measurably to the attractive appear ance of the handbag.

Still another objectis to provide the snap-open compartment as a portion of the handbag which is bodily pivoted upon the main or-b'ody portion of the handbag, so as to constitute a closure for the main or body part of the handbag.

Another object is to provide, on the underside of the swingable auxiliary compartment portion, coin-receivingmeans which will be conveniently disposed when the handbag. is opened.

For further comprehension ofthe invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claimsin which the various novel features of the-invention are more particularly set forth;

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 -is a perspective view of a handbag according to the invention, with the auxiliary portion closed, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 isa -fragmentary perspective view of the handbag as seen from the rear thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, de't'ail sectional view substantially on line 3-'-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the handbag with the auxiliary portion fully opened.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5' of Fig. 1, the auxiliary portion being fully closed:

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the handbag as seen from theline 66 of Fig. 4, the auxiliary portion being fully open.

Fig. 7 is* a view like Figlfi -in which-the wallsof the auxiliary portion are beginning their movement to a fully closed position.

Fig. 8 is a view like Fig. 7 in which said walls of the auxiliary portion have been moved further toward a closed position.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of Fig. 1 showing the handbag in open position.

Fig. 10 is an ehlarged vertical sectionalview taken on the1ine1010ofFig. 1., e U

Referring to the drawings iudetaihthe handbag includes an upwardly"openingrectangular main or body portion 12 defining (Fig. 9) a main compartment 13 for ones wallet, loose change, etc. e g I Referring to Fig. 10, preferably the walls of the main portion are laminated, comprising outer layers 12,14 of plastic betviieenwhic'zh a stiffening layer 16 of'car dboaf rd or'other fibrous materialis cemented, At the up er end of the body portion, a channeled binding 13 of flexible plastic or the" like is" stitched at 20 to thelarninations of the walls, and extends through thefiill periphery of the open upper end of the body portion, asshown in Fig; 9.

The carryingstrap 22 is attached by rivets 24 to opposite sides of the handbag, in any suitable manner.

In'this connectiongtne bdttorn 'oftlieijbody'portion may also be' forniedwithabindihg' separately from the side walls of the body-portion,ifdesired.

Designated generally at"26i s'an" auxiliary, cam-pan ment-forming' portion, the walls of which arealso of laminated formation in a preferred: embodiment. Re ferring to Fig. 10, a' continuous side wall 28, laminated similarly to the walls of the body portion (Fig. 10) 'is provided atits top and bottom edges with bindings 32; 30 stitched in place.

A bottom Wall 34 of the" auxiliary portion 26'is also of laminated formation, and is of cupped shape, with a binding 35 extending through its'periphery (Big. 10). A closure .36 of the auxiliary portion-is also of laminated formation, in a' manner to be describedhereinafter. At the several sides of the auxiliary compartment, vertically spaced rivets 3'8, 40areextendedthrough the sidewall 28 and through the marginal pbrti'on's o'f the bottom wall 34 and top wall 36 respectively (seeFig. 10).

A coin receiver generally designated 48"is per' se' con ventional, and is securedto the underside of the bottom wall 34 as shown in Fig. 9.

ice

The auxiliary portion ispivoted upon thebody portion' of the handbag, through the provisi'ono'f an elongated hinge strip 46 (Fig. 2) riveted' to the back walls of the auxiliary and mainportions of the handbag. Thus,'when the auxiliary portion is swungiipwardly, the coinho'lder 48 is exposed, and also, access to the main compartment 13 is provided.

The auxiliary portion this constitutes a? cover'for the main-compartment 13 and is normally held in" closed position through the provision of a depending, flexible plastic tongue 42 secured to the-"inner surface of the front Wall of the auxiliary portion by means. of one. of the rivets 38 and the stitchin'g'of the lower binding 30. The

depending tongue 42 has aigrommet43 of slot-like forml adapted to receive the pivoted latching head 44 which can be turned at right angles to the length of the slotted grommet 43 after extension therethrough in the" usual manner (Fig. 10). Other means of fastening the aux? iliary portion 26 in closed position can, of course, be employed.

As shown in' F ig. 3, the topwall'or closure 36 is of. laminated formation, including outer laminations, 5t), .52"

of a comparatively stiff but nevertheless somewhatlflexible plastidbetween which a stiffener 54 .is disposed. The.

stiffener may terminate slightlyinwardly from theouter edges of t e ,tgigwall. h stita ina app i d toit marginally contacting laminations 50, 52, as shown at 55 compartment to open positions. Such access is provided by unfolding the top wall 36 from its normally folded position of Fig. 1 to its fullyopen position of Fig. 4.

The'particular. folds of the top wallare of importance. In this connection, the wall 36 has hereinbefore been designated as a top wall, since it does extend horizontally across the top of the auxiliary compartment as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in effect closing the auxiliary compartment at its top. Nevertheless, when the top wall is unfolded as in Fig. 4, it then becomes, in effect, a continuous side wall of substantial height. Accordingly, the term top wall, is used merely to provide a ready reference to the wall 36 and in actuality said wall 36 is a combined top and side Wall. The use of theterm top wall accordingly is not to be deemed restrictive, but is merely a ready reference for the wall, which might be called with equal aptness a peripherally extending closure of the auxiliary compartment forming an extension of the side wall of said compartment.

In any event, the particular manner in which the closure 36 folds is of importance. Referring to Fig. 4, the closure when opened is rectangular, so as to provide there on a plurality of walls constituting extensions of the walls of the body part of the auxiliary portion. The several walls of the closure 36 have been designated at 56 and each has a fold line 57 extending diagonally thereof from one of its upper corners to a location adjacent the opposite one of its lower corners. The fold line 57, at its lower end, terminates in actuality a short distance above the adjacent lower corner of the wall 56. I

The provision of the diagonally extending fold line 57 of each wall 56 defines substantially triangular panels on each wall 56. Thus, forming one wall are the panels A, B; forming a second Wall, the panels'C, D; a third wall, the panels E, F; and a fourth wall, the panels G, H.

Assuming that the closure 56 is fully unfolded, access is provided to the interior of the portion 26 with ease, as will be readily apparent from Fig. 4 and from Fig. 6. However, if one desires to close the portion 26, one exerts a pressure at the top of closure 36 tending to turn the top clockwise in Fig. 7. As a result, the several walls 56 at the upper ends thereof begin to move in a clockwise direction from the Fig. 6 to the Fig. 7 positions thereof. Continued turning movement causes the fold lines 57 to deepen, so that the several portions now have the appearance shown in Fig. 8. Still further movement will cause the panels to move into a fully folded, flattened condition shown in Figs. 1 and2 and also in Fig. 5, in which the center opening defined between the panels is progressively reduced so as to become completely closed or at least very small. This closes the compartment of the auxiliary portion 28. Opening of the auxiliary compartment is efiected in the same manner.

It has been found in practice that in a full-size, working embodiment of the invention, there is a snap action resulting, apparently, either from the inherent resiliency of the plastics used, from the pre-creasing of the fold lines 57 tending to fold each adjacent panels A, B, or C, D, etc., into superposed relation, or from a combination of these actions. In any event, the snap action does result, responsive to turning of the top portion of the closure 36 from its Fig. 6 to its Fig. 7, and then to its Fig. 8 position.

In this way, the auxiliary compartment is closed Without the necessity of any snaps or other fastener means, and access is readily provided thereto whenever desired, providing a novel type of closure for a handbag.

4 v While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. v

Having thus described/my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent I. In a handbag, containei iiieans, constituting a main compartment, an auxiliary compartment with an o en top, and a closure formed as a foldablewall connected to and extending peripherally of the auxiliary compart m e'nt and adapted to be'folded' into a position closing said open top, said foldable wall being formed integrally with the auxiliary compartment and being of a stiff mate rial, the foldable wall comprisiiig a rectangular series of wall portions each of which has a pre-creased fold line, said fold lines extending diagonally of their .respective wall portions, forming each Wall portion into a pair of adjacent triangular panels connected along the fold line, said foldable wall, in the closing position thereof, being arranged with corresponding panels of the several wall portions in overlapping relation, said panels overlapping each over approximately half the area of the next adja cent panel, in an arrangement such as to locate the several fold lines in positions radiating from the center of the closure to the several corners thereof.

2. A substantially rectangular-shaped compartmented handbag comprising a rectangular-shaped body having a main bag compartment with bottom and side Walls and being open at the top, an auxiliary bag compartment hinged to said main bag compartment and having bottom and side walls and being open at the top, the bottoni Wall of the auxiliary bag compartment constituting a closure for the open top of the main bag compartment, and flaps on the auxiliary bag compartment foldable ifiatwise forming a closure for the open top of the auxiliary compartment and means for releasably holding the auxiliary bag compartment in closing position.

3. A substantially rectangular-shaped compartmented handbag comprising a rectangular-shaped body with a 2 main bag compartment with bottom and side walls and being open at the top, an auxiliary bag compartment hinged to said main bag compartment and having bottom and side walls and being open at the top, the bottom wall of the auxiliary bag compartment constituting a closure for the open top of the main bag compartment, and flaps on the auxiliary bag compartment foldable fiatwise forming a closure for the open top of the auxiliary compartment and means for releasably holding the auxiliary bag compartment in closing position, the bottom face of the bottom wall of the auxiliary compartment serving as a support for a coin holder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

